Mississippi and coal

Introduction
Mississippi coal mines produced 3.8 million tons of coal in 2006 (0.3% of the U.S. total); Mississippi ranks 19th out of the 50 states in terms of coal production. Mississippi employed 178 coal miners in 2006, none of whom were unionized.

Mississippi had 9 coal-fired generating stations in 2005, with 2,696 MW of capacity, representing 14.5% of the state's total electric generating capacity; Mississippi ranks 34th out of 50 states in terms of coal-fired generating capacity. In 2006, Mississippi's coal-fired power plants produced 22.2 million tons of CO2, 75,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 34,000 tons of nitrogen oxide; coal-fired power plants were responsible for 35.7% of the state's total CO2 emissions. In 2005, Mississippi emitted 21.3 tons of CO2 per person, slightly higher than the U.S. average.

History
The coal power industry is relatively weak in Mississippi, where power production is dominated by natural gas (77% of the state's electric generating capacity in 2005).

Active

 * Kemper Project, Kemper County, MS
 * Belwood Coal-to-Liquids, Netchez, MS
 * Mississippi Gasification, Moss Point, MS

Cancelled

 * Red Hills Power Project

Coal power companies

 * Mississippi Power Company, owned by Southern Company
 * Rentech
 * South Mississippi Electric Power Association

Existing coal plants
Mississippi had 9 coal-fired generating units at five locations in 2005, with 2,696 MW of capacity - representing 14.5% of the state's total electric generating capacity.

Click on the locations shown on the Mississippi map for plant details:

Here is a list of coal power plants in Mississippi with capacity over 400 MW: These 4 plants represent 98.8% of Mississippi's coal energy generating capacity, 35.7% of the state's total CO2 emissions, and 31.6% of its total SO2 emissions.

Major coal mines
There are no major coal mines in Mississippi.

Citizen groups

 * Mississippi Sierra Club

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Existing U.S. Coal Plants
 * Existing U.S. Coal Mines
 * US proposed coal plants (both active and cancelled)
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2007
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2008
 * Profiles of other states (or click on the map)